The status of each Ubidium Antenna Element is shown in the Passive Antenna Information screen of the Ubidium, if an element has a warning or an error a letter is shown in place of its antenna number. See System Data Screens for the meaning of each status letter. When completing the troubleshooting steps it is important allow sufficient time between each step and to note timestamps on the Ubidium clock to assist with remote diagnosis using log data. Additionally, remember that under no circumstances should any adjustments to antenna element connections be made while the Ubidium is powered on.

Elements Marked as B or M

    

A B(ad) value is most commonly caused by an obstructed or reflected signal, for example someone standing on an antenna segment, and can therefore also occur during normal operation. If the warning shows only temporarily the element will still read transponders.

If the warning persists, check that the red plastic cover is correctly fitted and that all Snap-In buttons are secured, in particular the two either side of the antenna element. M(ute) is expected after booting and after a firmware update, but not during operation.

If an element is still marked as B when set up in free air with no visible obstruction, or is marked as M during normal operation, reboot the system. Should the warning remain, note the date and time, take a picture of the setup, upload the diagnostics data from the system and contact support.

Elements Marked as ? or !

    

Never disconnect or reconnect antenna elements while the Ubidium System is powered on. Power the system off, then check the cable connection to the highlighted element and ensure that the coupling joint screws are tightly fastened.

The exclamation mark is a generic error and should only ever show immediately after booting. In either case, if the element is not recognised after rebooting, note the date and time, upload the diagnostics data and contact support.

No Antenna Elements are Detected

If no antenna elements are shown after booting then there is no communication with the antenna at all. Ensure that the connector is fully seated in the Ubidium Expansion Port, it must click in to place, see Connecting to the System. Then check that the first 2 antenna elements are connected and that the coupling joint screws are tightly fastened.

Not All Antenna Elements are Detected

The antenna is cabled as two separate strands, described under Adding or Removing Segments.

If only one strand is shown, check the screws from the connector cable to the first element of the other strand. If one strand is incomplete, check the screws on the first missing element and on the previous element of that strand.

If elements are missing at random, first ensure that all coupling joint screws are tightly fastened. If elements are still missing, power the system off and disconnect the elements one at a time starting from the last element, rebooting after each one, until all remaining elements are shown. Always power the system off before disconnecting the next element.

Then connect the element you disconnected last directly to the connector cable rather than to a reader cable. If the element is now detected then the reader cable used to connect it is faulty; if it is still not detected then the antenna element itself is faulty. In either case the faulty component can be moved to the end of the antenna until it is replaced.

If all of the above can be ensured and elements are still not detected after a reboot, upload the diagnostics data and contact support.